P eble’s
meadow
jumpi g
mouse
(Image
C edit:
Wikipedia)
Colo ado’s
effo ts
to
p otect
the
th eate ed
P eble’s
meadow
jumpi g
mouse
a e
gai i g
mome tum
as
co se vatio ists
wo k
to
esto e
the
st eamside
habitat
the
ti y
species
depe ds
o .
I
o the
Colo ado,
esto atio
has
focused
o
imp ovi g
ipa ia
a eas,
eco ecti g
st eams
with
thei
floodplai s
a d
e cou agi g
la dow e s
to
p otect
suitable
habitat.
A
2025
study
published
i
F o tie s
i
Co se vatio
Scie ce
docume ted
these
effo ts
i
the
No th
Fo k
Poud e
wate shed,
whe e
co se vatio
pa t e s
had
ide tified
102
st eam
miles
as
pote tial
habitat.
The
wo k
expa ded
fu the
i
2024
with
the
developme t
of
a
co se vatio
ba k,
while
a
ew
i itiative
i
2026
is
c eati g
additio al
oppo tu ities
fo
la dow e s
to
suppo t
habitat
p otectio .
P otecti g
a
f agile
habitat
The
P eble’s
meadow
jumpi g
mouse
(Zapus
hudso ius
p eblei)
is
a
small
ode t
fou d
mai ly
i
ipa ia
a d
wetla d
habitats
alo g
Colo ado’s
F o t
Ra ge
a d
i to
southeaste
Wyomi g.
It
was
listed
as
th eate ed
u de
the
U.S.
E da ge ed
Species
Act
i
1998,
with
habitat
loss,
deg adatio
a d
f agme tatio
amo g
the
co ce s
affecti g
its
su vival.The
mouse
depe ds
heavily
o
healthy
st eamside
e vi o me ts,
whe e
vegetatio
p ovides
food,
shelte
a d
places
fo
esti g.
Because
these
habitats
a e
vul e able
to
cha ges
i
g azi g,
wate
ma ageme t,
developme t
a d
othe
distu ba ces,
p otecti g
the
a imal
also
mea s
p otecti g
the
st eams
a d
vegetatio
a ou d
them.A
2025
study
i
F o tie s
i
Co se vatio
Scie ce
exami ed
a
commu ity-led
co se vatio
app oach
i
Colo ado’s
No th
Fo k
Poud e
wate shed.
The
U.S.
Fish
a d
Wildlife
Se vice
established
the
No th
Fo k
Poud e
Site
Co se vatio
Team
i
2019,
b i gi g
togethe
p ivate
la dow e s,
gove me t
age cies,
co se vatio
g oups,
esea che s
a d
local
stakeholde s.Rathe
tha
elyi g
o ly
o
egulatio s,
the
team
focused
o
volu ta y
co se vatio ,
esto atio
a d
i ce tives
that
could
e cou age
la dow e s
to
pa ticipate.
The
study
ide tified
102
st eam
miles
as
pote tial
habitat
capable
of
suppo ti g
a
ecove y
populatio
of
about
4,000
adult
mice.
Of
this
a ea,
31%
was
co side ed
high-suitability
habitat,
52%
medium
suitability
a d
17%
low
suitability.
Rep ese tative
Image
(AI-ge e ated)
Resto atio
ac oss
the
wate shed
The
esto atio
wo k
has
focused
o
imp ovi g
both
existi g
habitat
a d
a eas
that
could
become
suitable
fo
the
mouse.
O e
impo ta t
pa t
has
i volved
cha gi g
g azi g
p actices
so
livestock
spe d
less
time
i
se sitive
st eam
co ido s,
allowi g
vegetatio
to
ecove .
Othe
p ojects
have
used
post-assisted
log
st uctu es
i
st eams.
These
st uctu es
ca
slow
wate ,
eco ect
st eams
with
thei
floodplai s,
stabilise
ba ks
a d
e cou age
ipa ia
a d
wetla d
vegetatio
to
g ow.
Such
imp oveme ts
ca
c eate
bette
co ditio s
fo
the
mouse
while
also
suppo ti g
b oade
wate shed
health.The
team
delibe ately
ide tified
a
la ge
etwo k
tha
the
mi imum
habitat
co side ed
ecessa y
fo
a
ecove y
populatio .
Acco di g
to
the
study,
havi g
additio al
co ected
habitats
could
make
the
populatio
mo e
esilie t
to
distu ba ces
such
as
wildfi e
a d
floodi g.Mo ito i g
is
a othe
impo ta t
pa t
of
the
effo t.
The
co se vatio
team
pla ed
a
10-yea
p og am
to
t ack
populatio
status
a d
t e ds.
I
2023,
o ly
seve
mice
we e
captu ed
at
fou
of
12
sampli g
locatio s,
maki g
it
impossible
to
estimate
the
populatio
size.
By
2024,
p ivate
la dow e s
we e
p ovidi g
access
to
56%
of
sampli g
sites,
compa ed
with
17%
the
p evious
yea ,
highlighti g
the
g owi g
ole
of
p ivate
p ope ties
i
the
esea ch
a d
co se vatio
effo t.
F om
2024
to
a
ew
oppo tu ity
The
co se vatio
st ategy
expa ded
i
2024
with
the
developme t
of
a
co se vatio
ba k
ea
Live mo e,
acco di g
to
the
No th
Fo k
Poud e
Site
Co se vatio
Team.
The
ba k
was
i te ded
to
p ovide
payme ts
to
la dow e s
who
p otect
a d
esto e
ipa ia
a eas
below
7,600
feet
i
elevatio
whe e
the
P eble’s
meadow
jumpi g
mouse
occu s.
This
c eated
a othe
way
fo
p ivate
la dow e s
to
co t ibute
to
species
ecove y
while
co ti ui g
to
ma age
thei
p ope ties.The
effo t
has
co ti ued
i to
2026.
The
No th
Fo k
Poud e
Site
Co se vatio
Team
has
highlighted
a
ew
oppo tu ity
fo
La ime
Cou ty
la dow e s,
buildi g
o
the
idea
that
people
al eady
ca i g
fo
c eeks,
cotto woods
a d
ipa ia
co ido s
ca
play
a
di ect
ole
i
co se vatio .The
No th
Fo k
Poud e
expe ie ce
shows
why
p otecti g
the
P eble’s
meadow
jumpi g
mouse
equi es
mo e
tha
esto i g
isolated
st etches
of
st eam.
Its
habitat
c osses
public
a d
p ivate
la ds,
maki g
coope atio
esse tial.
By
combi i g
habitat
esto atio ,
scie tific
mo ito i g
a d
fi a cial
i ce tives
fo
la dow e s,
Colo ado’s
app oach
is
attempti g
to
c eate
a
mo e
co ected
a d
sustai able
la dscape
fo
the
th eate ed
mouse.The
wo k
could
also
be efit
fa
mo e
tha
o e
species.
Healthie
st eam
co ido s
ca
suppo t
othe
wildlife,
imp ove
wate shed
co ditio s
a d
st e gthe
the
ecological
esilie ce
of
the
la dscape.
Fo
the
P eble’s
meadow
jumpi g
mouse,
the
hope
is
that
these
combi ed
effo ts
will
eve tually
tu
f agme ted
habitat
i to
a
co ected
etwo k
capable
of
suppo ti g
a
stable,
ecove i g
populatio .